Archive for the ‘God's Word’ Category

For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:7b-9

God’s Word is spiritual seed and food. As realistically as your physical body needs physical food, your spiritual self needs the Word of God. It’s pure and powerful, and when you sow it into your spirit, you will reap amazing benefits.

1. BE INTENTIONAL. Take the responsibility to tend to your life as you would a garden. First till the soil of your heart to break up any hard ground, then the Word of God can take root and grow. For example, pull the weeds and remove bitterness, unforgiveness, and apathy.

2. DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE. Words are seeds. Stay away from seeds that yield poisonous plants and weeds that choke out the life of God’s Word (Mark 4:14-20). Avoid discord and strife. Instead, sow seeds of love and encouragement. As we sow God’s promises, faith is produced in our lives.

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6

3. MAINTAIN AN ATTITUDE OF ABUNDANCE. Each one of us is called to be like “a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3). Keep sowing seeds of life morning, noon, and night into yourself and others with the expectation that it’s going to produce a giant result—both now and into eternity.

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

DAILY CONFESSION:
Today I sow life into my spirit. I treasure God’s Word in my heart (Psalm 119:11). For it is not my strength, but it is God who is effectively at work in me, both to will and to work — strengthening, energizing, and creating in me the longing and the ability to fulfill God’s purpose for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13 AMP).

“The land doesn’t care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn … What we plant it must return to us.” –Earl Nightingale

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:20-23

1. GUARD YOUR HEART. When we enter the secret place with God, we obtain strength, direction, and refreshing (Psalm 91:1 NKJV). But the strategy of the devil is to provide weapons of mass distraction that pull us away from attention to God’s Word. That’s why we must stay attentive—to guard our hearts and to keep life’s distractions from choking out the fruitfulness of the Word.

But the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:19

2. STAY THANKFUL. Take time to consider how rich, how amazing, and how wonderful redemption is. Unfortunately, on the way to the Promised Land, the Israelites let their discouragement lead them into trouble. They even complained about the heavenly food God provided for them, saying, “We loathe this miserable food” (Numbers 21:4-5). So savor all that Jesus has provided. A thankful heart will strengthen you and enable you to fend off discouragement.

3. ATTEND TO THE WORD. Whatever distraction you’ve been dealing with, commit to refocusing your heart on the Word of God. If you ask Jesus to help you in your walk, He will help you. Take hold of the promises of God and continue to move forward—keeping your eyes on Jesus and staying activated for God’s purposes for your life.

Press On,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

DAILY CONFESSION:
I have the same attitude of obedience to God that was in Jesus, and I say yes to God’s will for my life (Philippians 2:5). I keep the work of faith and the labor of love with steadfastness of hope in Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:3). The Word of the Lord will sound forth from me into all the places God has called me to reach (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. Luke 6:47-48

1. GOD’S WORD IS A SURE FOUNDATION. Building your life on the promises of God will get you through whatever you face. You can hold to it, live by it—it’s a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105).

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Matthew 24:35

2. GOD’S WORD IS PERMANENT. It’s forever settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89). Let God’s Word dispel any buildup of fear. Even though impermanent things may shake and fall away, God has given us a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). Faith in God’s Word is substantial and will make a difference in everything you do.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1

3. GOD’S WORD IS HEALING AND WHOLENESS. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Replace negative self-dialogue with the Word of God. When you speak something out of your mouth, it interrupts your thought process. God designed His words to be spoken to put a halt to unbelief that undermines and crowds out the truth.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Press On!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

DAILY CONFESSION:
God is a present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). He comforts the depressed (2 Corinthians 7:6). God’s words are life to those who find them and health to all their body (Proverbs 4:22). He sent His Word and healed me and delivered me from my destructions (Psalm 107:20).

foun·da·tion, noun
A basis upon which something stands or is supported. An underlying base or support.

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. Psalm 19:7-8a

1. GOD’S WORD RESTORES THE SOUL. There is such a battle for our thinking, and what goes into our minds will come out. When the Word of God gets inside us, life flows out of us. When garbage gets in, garbage comes out. Weapons of mass distraction are vying for our attention and bombarding our minds and hearts. But as we constantly feed on the Word of God, we will be renewed and restored (Romans 12:2).

2. GOD’S WORD MAKES WISE THE SIMPLE. The Word of God is ancient truth, it’s living and active. It brings wisdom where there is naivety, and it brings understanding even when you’ve never before encountered a certain kind of problem. Feed on the Scriptures (Read a chapter of Proverbs a day.) and pray for wisdom. God will give us customized wisdom for each trial we face.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

3. GOD’S WORD REJOICES THE HEART. Jesus is our hope. As we meditate on the Word of God, optimism and gladness will fill our hearts because we know that God is working on our behalf. God’s Word can enable a depressed, melancholy person to experience joy. It can take an anxious person into a place of confidence, a sick person into healing, and a sinner into a place of availability for righteousness and salvation.

God Bless You!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

DAILY CONFESSION:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). I will taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the person who takes refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8).

re·store, verb
To give back (something taken away, lost, etc.). To bring back to a former or normal condition, as by repairing, rebuilding, altering, etc. To bring back to health, strength, etc.

“Yield now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you. Please receive instruction from His mouth and establish His words in your heart.” Job 22:21-22

1. YIELD. A yield sign is a beautiful thing–it tells us to look and acknowledge traffic and people around us. We yield and listen to the Holy Spirit, not to be reticent or fearful, but instead to become aware of what He is saying in order to move forward.

Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My Word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:12

2. SPEAK. The Word of God doesn’t return empty without accomplishing what it’s been sent to do (Isaiah 55:11). When you pack yourself full of the Word of God, you can be ready for the amazing moments God has prepared for you. In every situation you can bring life to yourself and to others by speaking God’s Word. It is salvation for those who need to know Jesus, healing for the sick, and encouragement for the oppressed.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time. 1 Peter 5:6 AMP

3. FOLLOW. When we follow Jesus, we’ll see amazing things come to pass. People are ahead who need what we have. Occasions are ahead that will make all the endurance worth it. Don’t give up between now and then. Yield to the Holy Spirit, speak God’s Word, and watch God use your life in unique and impactful ways.

Press On,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
I dedicate my life to Jesus—no turning back, no distraction. I yield to You, Lord, to serve and obey You. I establish Your words in my heart. Thank You, God, for opening doors and giving me favor and new opportunities. In Jesus’ Name, a door for God’s Word is opening and I am walking through it!

yield, verb
To surrender or submit, as to superior power. To give place or precedence.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:7, 9

1. WE LEARN GOD’S THOUGHTS. God’s lowest thoughts are higher than our highest thoughts. As we invest our time in reading the Scriptures, our minds get renewed (Romans 12:2) and we trade in our smaller way of thinking for God’s amazing, big beautiful, eternal thoughts!

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

2. WE DISCERN THE TRUTH. A two-edged sword was one of the sharpest and most precise instruments known at the time Hebrews was written. Now we can say God’s Word is sharper than a scalpel or a tungsten needle or a laser! As we humble ourselves and let His Word come into our lives, we receive correction, clarity, truth, and insight.

3. WE RESIST TEMPTATION. When the devil tempted Jesus and concluded by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus resisted each time by quoting Scripture. Whatever is making you nervous and frustrated, whatever is tempting you, whatever is standing in the way of breakthrough, be specific and speak out God’s Word.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

4. WE HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER OTHERS. When we study God’s Word—by meditating, focusing, fixating, feeding on it—we are ready with a word to give others in the moment when they need it (Ephesians 4:29).

God Bless You!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

DAILY CONFESSION (Isaiah 55:10-11)
As the rain and snow water the earth and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so God’s Word will be going into my life. It will not return empty, but will accomplish what God desires for my life, and it will succeed in the matter for which God sent it.

thoughtnoun
Reasoning power. The power to imagine. A developed intention or plan.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

1. BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION ON THE WORD. God has given us His Word to provide substance to our spirits so that we can be “adequate and equipped for every good work.” Jesus describes a person who acts on His words as a wise person who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27). When we build our lives on God’s Word, then—when the storms of life hit—there is a solid foundation.

Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89

2. SPEAK THE WORD. God’s words are life to you. In the book of Matthew, a centurion said to Jesus, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8). When the devil tempted Jesus, He responded with, “It is written” (Matthew 4:4-8). When you pack your heart with the Scriptures, that’s what will come out in times of crisis.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

3. FIND ABUNDANT LIFE IN THE WORD. God always causes us to triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14). God will turn things around (Romans 8:28). He is the glory and the lifter of our heads (Psalm 3:3). He is our healer (Psalm 103:2). He turns our mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11). And God will walk us through our process to get us to a place of more-than-enough in every area of our lives.

God is equipping you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

DAILY CONFESSION Based on Psalm 18
I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The Lord is my stay. He brings me forth into a broad place. He rescues me because He delights in me.

a·bun·dant, adjective
Present in great quantity; more than adequate; oversufficient. Well supplied. Richly supplied.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

GET IN THE WORD. Let God’s Word transform your thinking. We have divinely powerful weapons to destroy everything raised up against the knowledge of God. When you get attacked in your thought life by distraction, worry, or fear, run back to the pages of the Word to get strength and clarity. With it you can cast down imaginations, quit worrying about lesser things, and instead lift your eyes to the big picture of God’s amazing plan for your life.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1:23-25

HAVE FAITH IN GOD. When you look into the mirror of the Scriptures you become transformed into that image (Romans 12:2). Trust God for breakthrough in circumstances that look impossible. You are designed to pray huge prayers, to stand on the promises of God, and to think strategically. Take every thought captive and speak life to those visions, dreams, and desires.

DAILY CONFESSIONbased on Ephesians 6:10-13
I am strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. I put on the full armor of God so that I am able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Having done everything thing to stand, I stand firm.

For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus. 2 Corinthians 7:5-6

RELY ON GOD. I appreciate the honesty of the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul was candid about the challenges he faced. He was hassled while he was fulfilling the Great Commission for the same reason you and I are hassled when we try to step up and be productive and fruitful – because the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Whatever mind-numbing challenge you are facing—when no one can understand how you feel and even you don’t know how you feel—God understands. He is a present help in time of need (Psalm 46:1): a redeemer who saves, a healer who heals, and a compassionate God who comforts the depressed.

Why are you in despair, O my soul? and why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. Psalm 42:5

REPLACE NEGATIVE SELF-DIALOGUE. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). We must battle to interrupt negative self-dialogue and replace it with constant, meaningful vocalizing of God’s promises from His Word. Instead of allowing imaginations to seize you, remind yourself who God is and what Jesus accomplished on Calvary. Remember the help God sent when He poured out the Holy Spirit in the upper room. Get up in the morning and speak God’s Word over your day.

DAILY CONFESSION:
I stand on the truth and the conviction of the promises of God. Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word is permanent (Matthew 24:35). This hope is the anchor for my soul (Hebrews 6:19). It’s the protection of my thought life, the healer of my body (Psalm 107:20), the wisdom for my finances, and the answer for this generation.

“I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us! Do you realize what that means? I suggest that the main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression in a sense is this, that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self.” – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

[I] do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Ephesians 1:16-17

Look to Jesus. So often, people look at Jesus through the filter of their struggles and conflicts. But Jesus is calling us to look directly at Him. Not to deny that problems exist, but to deny Satan the right to dominate us.

The Word Brings Faith. Christianity is not a baseless optimism, but it is a biblical hope. Go to the Scriptures and look through the lens of God’s promises of provision, healing, and breakthrough. Faith will come! A spirit of wisdom and revelation will rise up in you and the truth of what God says will become more dominant than your current circumstances.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19a

Light Excels Darkness. Whether you are experiencing high times or hard times, God’s grace is going to see you through (Philippians 4:11-13). If the devil has backed you into a corner of despair, God’s Word will shine light in the darkest situations in your relationships, in your marriage, and in your finances (Psalm 119:130). Even though you don’t know everything that’s ahead, God does, and He has plans to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Daily Confession:
This is a year of advancement and breakthrough. I won’t back down from God’s plans and purposes. I thank God for a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of my understanding may be enlightened that I may know what is the hope of God’s calling and what are the riches of the glory of the inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward those who believe!